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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  2. We're on a ________________ here.
  3. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  4. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  5. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  6. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  7. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  8. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  9. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  10. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  11. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  12. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  13. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  14. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  15. I'll be taking the ________________.
  16. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  17. My mare is ________________ in color.
  18. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  19. He works in a ________________ mill.
  20. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  21. She's very handy with a ________________.
  22. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  23. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  24. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. roll — on a roll
  3. bay — a part of the sea
  4. straw — to clutch at straws
  5. deal — to handle
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. deal — a big deal
  8. tube — in a tire
  9. roll — a list
  10. roll — a cake
  11. deal — an agreement
  12. trunk — of an elephant
  13. trunk — of a car
  14. trunk — of a tree
  15. tube — the underground
  16. tube — a container
  17. bay — a horse colour
  18. straw — a straw man
  19. saw — the tool
  20. saw — past of 'see'
  21. saw — the tool
  22. mouse — for a computer
  23. straw — dry grass
  24. bay — to keep at bay

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com